Acetylene-gas apparatus.



No. 648,787. Patented May I, I900.

J. PONCES.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet I,

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No. 648,787. Patented May I, I900.

J..PONCES.. ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSE lONOES. OF BARCELONA, SPAIN.

ACETYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,787, dated May1,1900.

application filed October 9, 1899.

it appertains to make and use the same.

'Nyinvention relates to an apparatus for generating and producingacetylene gas, and more particularly to that class in which a pluralityof generators are employed to charge a common reservoir or receiver.Instead of operating all of the generators simultaneously, as issometimes done, the generators are automatically brought into actionsingly Fahd se-riatl'm, one of said generators com mencing actionimmediately after the gas generated by the preceding one-has been almostentirely consumed, until the entire series of generators have been used.

In order to more fully understand my said invention, reference will behad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents an elevaion of the apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a section along the line abofFig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a seetion along the line (.1 (1, Fig. 2,showing the construction of one of the generators; and Fig. 4 is adetail View, partly in section, showing the construction of one of themechanisms for admitting water to a generator.

f designates the generators, each of which is adapted to contain a wireor gauze basket c, which is provided with feet or projections at thebottom,

all 'of these generators being surrounde by an annular tank r 71represents an outlet, one of uhichis locatedin the bottom of each of thegenerators and passes through said tank g. These generators are eachprovided with a removable top adapted to be securely clamped down bymeans of the hand-screw upon the top ol? the vessel and are alsoprovided with feetf. Passing into each of these generators is a trap 1',the lower end, which depends into the generato'iybeing bent toward oneside, the upper end}? of this pipe havinga funnel 5' formed thereon. Lo-

cated to one side of each of these funnels '1 is Serial No. 733,115. (Nomodel.)

a pipe r, the portion r of which is directed toward the funnel.

'1' represents one of the valves adapted to admit Water to the generatorat the proper time. Attached to the plunger of these valves is a pivotedlever t, provided at one end with the weight i, the tendency of which isto open the valve, the other end of this lever engaging with adctent itupon the spring a. This detent u is secured upon, the upper end of thespring 11, the latter being reinforced by the additional springs, asshown in Fig. 4. The valves 7' and the corresponding springs 21 aremounted in any suitable manner upon a circular platform or support,which encircles the apparatus above the generators f.

Around the stem of the valve 7' is coiled a spring 1" the tendency ofwhich is to keep the valve closed, but not to prevent the opening of thevalve by the weighted lever z. Pivoted upon an extension of the valve rabove the lever t is aseeond lever 15, provided with the fiat plate a atone end, the other end being adapted to press back the detent u andrelease the end of the lever i when a force is applied at the end .9.

j is a pipe leading to the valve 0" from the water-tanks j, one of thesetanks being provided for each ofthe valves 0" to supply'one generator,the pipe e being connected at the other side of the said valve. I

Leading into the top of each of the generators f is a pipe g, surroundedbythe waterjacket g". These pipes g from'each of the generators areconnected to a circular conduit in, which is preferably elliptical incrosssection and is surrounded by an annular tank 7:. Connected to thisconduit by means of the pipe qr is a washing-tank a, tightly closed andadapted to contain water. At the end of the pipe w", leading into thechamber from the top, is a perforated pipe :11, and at the top of thischamber the pipe :0" leads to the purifying-chamber .2" andfinallyupward beneath the receiver 7t, which floats within the tankLeading from the tank It is a drain-pipe to, which empties into thereceptacle 7L.

Secured to the frame of the apparatus and passing through the center ofthe receiver 7:

is a guide-rod m, the sleeve at being secured to the top of the receiverand-extemling downweight will describe a circle, the eireumfcr v ence ofwhich coincides with, but is normally above, the line of flat plates '8'of the levers s. Mounted around the receiver upon the frame of theapparatus is a series of guide-tracks, comprising an upper set rigidlysecured to p the circular supports n and n" and a lower 'the tank 7t".

twelve pairs of guides it, is obvious that-the number of generators maybe varied to suit various requirements. The upper .set of guides iscomposed of the triangnlar-shaped portions, having sides 17 and 1')substantially vertical and the inclined side 1)". At the lower end ofthe side is loosely pivoted the link (1', and at the corresponding endof the side p is also loosely pivoted the link If. The lower set iscomposed of the guide ha ving the uprights 11 p and the inclined side 19the space between these guides being sutficient to allow the roller Z topass freely. The operation of the apparatus is as follows: All of thebaskets 0 within the genera tors having been previously charged withcalcium carbid and water supplied to each of the tanks j and'also tothetank 7c", surrounding the receiver 7t, tank 7s,surrou1uling theannular conduit iv, tank g, surround'ing'the generators, washing-chambera and waterjackets g", surrounding each of the gas-pipes g, theapparatus is in condition to generate and produce a continuoussupply ofacetylene gas.I As the receiver normally rests at its lowest point inthe tank when not charged with gas, itwill be necessary to prevent theWeight i from resting upon one of the plates 3 until it is desired tostart the apparatus into operation. ly applying a slight pressure uponthe upper side of the plate 8' the lever 8 causes the detent n to springback and release the end of the lever tand by reason of the weight '6'will force the stein of the valve 0' down, thereby eausiu g water fromone of the tanks j through the pipes j and c to be directed by the pipe'0' into the funnel t" of the pipe 1'. The bottom end of this pipe i, asbefore stated,being bent to one side, causes the water to be directedupon the side of the generator, and falling to the bottom of the vesselgradually rises'up from the bottoinof The number of Ipairs of theseguides vapor carried along by the gas is condensed by the water-tank7;,surrounding the couduit. The gas then passes by means of the pipe w"to the washing-chamber ac, where the gas is caused to pass in minutestreams through the perforated pipe .1 submerged in the water, andrising to the surface is conducted by the pipe at to thepurifying-chamher .2 (conventionally shown) and thence under thereceiver, being now ready for use. The operation having once started itwill autoinatieally bring into operation one generator after anotherunless stopped intentionally which may be done by preventing the WeightI from depressing the next plate during the descent of the receiver)until the eutire set of generators has'been used;

The automatic operation of the valves 0 will be fully understood uponreference to the drawings. Supposing that one generator has exhaustedits output of gas and the receiver is at its highest point of ascent, itis obvious that the roller Z" in rising from its lowest point passedvertically between the guides of the lower set until it encountered thein clined side 1-)" of the upper guide, when its course was deflectedand eaused'the receiver to be rotated on its axis until it reached itshighest point of ascent, at the same time releasing the link Now whenthe receiver begins to descend the course of the roller Z is deflectedby the link q and the sidep'" of the lower guide until the link g" hasdropped back in place after being-pushed aside. The downward motion ofthe receiver continues until the supply of gas generated is nearlyexhausted, when the weight l comes into contact with the next plate .9,starting the next generator into action. This cycle of operationcontinues until the weight comes to the .valve of the exhaustedgenerator, when the action ceases.

Excessive heating of the generators is prevented by the annular tank 7,which is kept,

filled with water and surrounds all the gencraters.

The water of condensation from the pipe 1 runs down through the pipe 10into the receptacle h.

The purpose of having the pipes 11 to one side of the funnel is thatwhile the generators are charged with carbid any leakage from the valvesthrough the pipes 2' will not drip into the tunnels and start thegenerators when not desired, but will drip into the tank 9 be n on th.

IIC

The gas may be conducted from. the receiver-to any desired point bymeans of the pipe .2, which communicates with the gasspace beneath thereceiver.

While I have shown one particular form of my invention, it is obviousthat manychanges maybe made in the details and arrangement of myapparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patento'f the United States, is-

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas comprising areceiver, anda plurality of generators, guide tracks, and valves forsupplying water to said generators, an arm on said receiver with aroller on said arm adapted to engage said guide-tracks and partiallyrotate said receiver as it rises and falls, and a weight carried by saidarm and adapted to open one of said valves at each descent of saidreceiver, and thus operate one of said generators, substantially asdescribed.

2. An apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas comprising areceiver, a plurality of elevated watertanks, and an equal number ofgenerators supplied withv water from said tanks, an arm. carried by saidreceiver and opening the supply of water from one of said tanks to oneof said generators at each fall of the receiver, and mechanism engagingsaid arm for partly rotating said receiver and thus causing it tooperate the several generators seriaf i'rn, substantially as'described.Y

3. An apparatus for the manufacture of acetylenegas, comprising areceiver, an arm on said receiver, a plurality of generators,

upper and lower guide-tracks, the upper track being separated from thelower to allow the passage therebetweeu of said arm on said receiver,and switches located between said tracks. whereby the rising andlallingof'said receiver controls the flow of Water to said generators,substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas, the combinationof the valve '1", the levers s and t with spring-detent therefor, meansoperated by the motion of the receiver for operating the lover s, trapswith funnels thereon for receiving the water from said valve, and anoutlet-pipe from said valve set at one side of but pointed toward saidtraps, and adapted to direct the flow of water into saidtraps whensaidvalve is opened, but to cause any leakage to drip clear of said funnels,substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. -An apparatus for the manufacture of;

acetylene gas, comprising a receiver and a plurality of generators, withvalvesfor supplying water to said geuerators,,an arm sefrom said arm andactuating one of said valves at each descent of said receiver, andguide-tracks for said arm whereby said valves may be operated seriaiim,substantially as described. l (i. An apparatus for the manufacture ofacetylene gas, comprising a receiver and a jcuredto said receiver, aweight suspended plurality of generators, with valves for supf plyingwater to said generators, an arm scicured to said receiver, a weightsuspended.- from said arm .and actuating one of saidvalves at eachdescent of said receiver, a roller on said arm, and guide-tracks forsaid roller whereby-said receiver may be partially ro-- tated as itrises and falls and said valves may be operated, substantiallyas'deseribed.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Josit 'PoNcEs.

Witnessesi

